Come With Me Now
by supercasey
Summary: DCU Destiny AU. A Bounty gone wrong leads Clark Kent and Diana Prince to suddenly have a young Hunter named Bats enter their lives. As this mysterious stranger slowly recovers from his injuries, they all must work together in rescuing Bat's lost Ghost. Will the Light prevail, or will the Ghost be lost to the Darkness?
1. Chapter 1

**Come With Me Now**

**Chapter 1: The Hunter**

**Description: DCU Destiny AU. A Bounty gone wrong leads Clark Kent and Diana Prince to suddenly have a young Hunter named Bats enter their lives. As this mysterious stranger slowly recovers from his injuries, they all must work together in rescuing Bat's lost Ghost. Will the Light prevail, or will the Ghost be lost to the Darkness?**

**A/N: I really love Destiny, and Destiny AU's are really great... byeeeeeeeeeeeeee**

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><p>It was, when you first left, meant to be nothing more than an everyday Bounty. Diana and you have been a two person Fireteam for about five years now, and so far so good. Well, for the most part it's been good. You're both Titans, which, really, is one Hell of a combo, but being without any other class or partner really takes it's toll after awhile. Can't count how many times you both could've used a Sunsinger. The Cosmodrome has been with little activity over the last few weeks, so little that the Speaker had feared that something of the Darkness was coming. In a moment of worry, he'd made the Cosmodrome off-limits... when a distress signal came through to the Tower. It looked to have been on for more than a week, leading to you and Diana being sent out to find the source.<p>

"Sure we shouldn't have brought Barry?" Diana asks you over the ship's intercom. "Really, I don't doubt that we can handle ourselves but I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry about it, Diana." You foolishly suggest, shrugging off Diana's worry without much of your own. "It's a really simple Bounty, what could go wrong?"

A lot can go wrong, Clark Kent. A lot.

You both land on the Earth's surface within a few minutes of entering the atmosphere, the nighttime shrouding the area in darkness. It's very quiet. You won't say it's too quiet, as that would be lame. Diana turns to you, adjusting the hand-cannon that fits so well in her hands. She reloads it, sighing to herself as she finally signals out her Ghost again, Steve Trevor. The Ghost hums before pulling out Diana's Sparrow, painted red, white, and blue. Just like your's. She hops on as you get on your own Sparrow, trying hard to ignore the tight knot in your stomach. Something hasn't been right, but you've never really believed in all that magic junk the Warlocks go on about, so you refuse to believe it's anything 'magical' or 'mystical'.

"I'll scout ahead, try to see if any Fallen are readying for an ambush." Diana offers, revving up her Sparrow somewhat anxiously. "If something happens, and you can't revive me, call Barry and his Fireteam." She orders, before speeding off to scout.

Alone, you pullout your own Ghost, a blue one named Lois. The Ghost blinks at you, seemingly waking up. It's late for you to be out and about, you remember, but the Bounty is a rather urgent one. "Sorry to wake you, Lois." You apologize, smiling at the small Light. "Any scans of anything nearby? I'm not picking up anything on my radar."

Lois whirls, trying to find something, anything really. "Sorry, Clark. I can't find anything around here... almost like they're jamming my signal. I can't even-" She stops, and you feel your heartbeat slow. "-Clark, go get Diana." Her tone has gone from neutral to concerned at the drop of a hat, sending chills up your back.

"What, why? I haven't even gotten a report from her yet!" You'd insist, perplexed by your usually courageous and sometimes headstrong Ghost suddenly acting very, very scared indeed.

"Clark, there's no time. Go!" Lois yells, disappearing as you speed off, trying to find Diana.

At first, there's nothing unusual around, save for the darkness of the nighttime stretching over the Cosmodrome, but just in time, you manage to dodge a spray of bullets. Spinning out of control, you slam into the ground, being sent rolling off your Sparrow. On your feet without hesitation, you gaze around, Auto Rifle primed and ready to fire, only to find nothing but the grass and snow of Old Russia staring back at you. You breathe heavily, trying to strain your eyes and ears to listen and see for something, anything that could attack you. Lois remains in your armor, a dull warmth that flows like tidal waves through you to accommodate your increased stress levels. You wait maybe two full minutes before the creature shoots at you again.

This time, you're ready, crouching and firing off an entire magazine into the full-bodied shimmery figure not ten feet away. A Stealth Vandal falls, lying dead at your feet. Unsure if anything else is coming, you step a bit closer, looking the motionless corpse over. It wears the standard array of Vandal gear, though, it notably has the remains of a very weathered and once beloved Hunter's cloak. Pulling off the garment, you tuck it into your inventory, holding your Auto Rifle steady again after reloading it. You don't waste time in staying put, preferring to seek out Diana instead. Something definitely hasn't been right, Clark. Stealth Vandals are very, very rare in the Cosmodrome.

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><p>Time goes faster when you're running for your life, when you're desperately searching for your best friend in the galaxy. Your feet aren't even registered as you run and run, unable to think clearly enough to pull out your Sparrow. Lois isn't really there in your mind either, only the idea that you're too late remaining, that you might just lose her. You can't bear the idea of losing Diana. After more running than you've ever done in your entire life, you find yourself in The Divide, a place you haven't visited since you were first Revived by Lois. You breathe deeply, hands on your knees as you double over, exhausted and worried.<p>

"We'll find her," Lois promises, coming to life in your line of vision. "Don't worry, Clark. I promise you, we'll find her safe and sound."

"Lois, something more is going on here. This isn't your average bounty." You say, sounding a bit dramatic, but hey, Diana could be dead for all you know!

"I know, Clark. We just need to keep a level head." Lois replies, suddenly blinking her light on and off. "Hold on!" She orders, turning away from you, towards one of the rusty buildings nearby. "She's there! Clark, Diana's in there!" She promises, making you run towards the building.

By the time you notice the incoming pack of Shanks, it's almost too late. You can feel Lois's sudden distress increase, worried that she's just killed you. You trip yourself backwards as you came to a halt, managing to take out two of the Shanks before going down to the ground. Nearby, you hear Dregs and Vandals incoming, along with what sounds like a Captain leading them. You sit up, ready to fight to tooth and nail, only for the remaining three Shanks to be shot down with a hand-cannon. You startle, then swing your head to face the building you'd been heading to in the first place. There, standing tall and proud, is Diana Prince in the flesh, a downed Guardian held graciously over her left shoulder as she holds her Primary Weapon with the other.

"Diana!" You scream, jumping up and shooting at two incoming Dreg, not daring to run to her just yet. "Hurry, call the ship!"

"On it!" Diana grits out, pulling out Steve for assistance. "Steve, get us out of here!" She orders, adjusting her hold on the Guardian over her shoulder. "Inform the doctors in the Tower that we have injured on-board in need of medical assistance."

"Will do." Steve promises, blinking rapidly while whirling as a large light engulfs you and Diana. "Hold on tight, folks. This is gonna be a bumpy ride!" Is all the warning you get before the world turns completely white, then descends into a calming blackness.

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><p>You awake with a yell, nearly rolling right off of the recovery bed. You look around, unable to see much from your position. Your armor has been removed, along with your weapons, leaving you feeling naked and unprotected. "Oh, thank God, you're awake." A familiar voice says, making you blink before meeting Diana's eyes as she stands above you. "And here I was thinking you wouldn't wake up until tomorrow."<p>

"What happened?" You demand to know, trying to get up, only to have Diana force you to sit down on the bed.

"We went to the Cosmodrome after a distress signal came to the Tower last night. We got separated and had to have Steve fly us out in the middle of a fight. You were knocked out in the process, but we all made it back, safe and sound." Diana explains, smiling down at you with a hint of worry in her eyes. "When we were separated... I found the distress signal. It was coming from a Hunter whose ship crashed when it's engines failed above Earth."

"Are they alive?" You ask, softer this time, now that you know everything has seemed to turn out well. "For that matter, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Clark. Just a few scratches, nothing I can't handle." Diana tells you proudly, smirking before it disappears, the concern returning again. "As for the Hunter... the Speaker and a few others are trying to find any relatives, maybe Fireteam members if they can. No such luck yet, no one has even reported a missing Hunter with his description."

You sit up, not allowing Diana to force you down this time, then again, she doesn't try to. "I want to go see him." You announce, looking intent on meeting the rescued Hunter. "Has he woken up yet?"

Diana shakes her head. "Not yet. The doctors say he's lucky to be alive; he snapped his leg in the ship-crash and was stranded in that building I found him in for what the doctor thinks was three days at the very least. He's a bit underweight and hurt right now, but they think he'll make it." She explains, helping you to your feet, an arm wrapped around your waist. "Can you stand alright? Those Fallen almost killed you."

"I'm fine." You promise, letting go of Diana, the space she'd held you around growing cool from the intense air conditioning above your head. "Come on, we should go meet this Hunter."

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><p>By the time you both arrive there, the doctors that've been monitoring the Hunter are taking a coffee break, nodding at you both as they stand outside the room, allowing you both to enter. The room is one of those more classical hospital rooms, like the ones you see in old movies. The window is open, letting fresh air flow into the hospital room, but the Hunter is completely motionless on the bed, save for his steady, rising and falling chest. Now that you have a full view of him, you look the Hunter over. His eyes are closed peacefully, not allowing you to see their color, but his hair is jet black like you and Diana's. He's very young looking, almost too young, but you figure it's because he might be recently revived or something along those lines. You sit beside the bed in a small chair, staring at the young Hunter.<p>

The Hunter's various gear is set up at the foot of his bed, arranged most likely by a fellow Hunter, as the torn-up looking cloak looks to have been lovingly folded up. His weapons are stacked over the cloak, beginning with a Scout Rifle, a Sniper Rifle, and a Machine Gun. All are in pretty bad condition. You rest one hand on the side of the bed, exhaling slowly as you watch the Hunter sleep. He looks peaceful, in a sad sort of way, but at least he's not dead. That's always a good sign. Diana leans on the wall, and you move to offer her the chair, but she shakes her head at you, signaling for you to stay seated. After a moment, one of the doctors comes back in, yawning as she sets her empty coffee mug on a counter before facing you both.

"So sorry to have kept you waiting." She's an Awoken, you note, and her hair is cotton candy pink. "Me and my colleagues have been very busy taking care of your friend here along with other patients. I'm afraid we have had no time to sleep, so, forgive me for my fatigue."

"Thank you, all of you. It's good to know we have people like you here willing to put in the time to help us." Diana explains, smiling warmly at the Awoken doctor. "Any news on locating family or relatives in the Tower?"

"None so far, but I have hope." The Doctor promises, smiling before she starts getting herself more coffee from the coffee pot on the counter, pouring the warm liquid into her mug. "He was in bad shape when he was brought here, but is recovering quickly. He should wake very soon. I'll leave you to stay with him for as long as you wish, please warn us however if he awakens." With that, she leaves you both alone with the Hunter.

You sigh, looking from the Hunter, back up to Diana, whose arms are folded as she locks her eyes on the Hunter. "... Think he has anyone up here?" You finally ask, feeling like someone has to sooner or later.

Diana shakes her head, frowning more deeply. "I doubt it. Honestly, I'm not that surprised. Someone would've reported him missing days ago if he knew anyone. I know Hunters are natural loners, but... you'd think he knew somebody up here."

"Yeah, I know." You agree, sitting somewhat awkwardly as the minutes tick by, trying to look anywhere but at the unidentified Hunter. "... Should we go? I mean, I want to meet him, but... I feel like it's wrong if we stay here and aren't family or friends."

"Let's go then." Diana replies, unfolding her arms and heading to the door. "I'll ask the doctors to phone us when he wakes up so we can meet him." She walks out, talking softly to a doctor as you stand awkwardly in the open doorway.

Diana leads the way out after speaking to the doctors, and you follow her, sending one last look over your shoulder towards the sleeping Hunter. "See you later, Hunter." You mutter, before leaving beside Diana and back into the City.

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><p>The Hunter wakes up after another five hours, and honestly, you're so thankful when he does. Waiting for a nameless guy to wake up is unsurprisingly boring, and busying yourself is very hard in the Tower. Entering the Crucible or going on a Bounty seems dangerous, as you're still recovering and you don't want to miss it if the Hunter wakes up. You keep stopping by the hospital, checking up with the doctors, which Diana says is 'Kinda cute'. You blow it off though, figuring all this is concern for the stranger. They get a name for you, on your first visit back to the hospital within the second hour of waiting. He's a man known merely as Bats, and as you expected, he's been very recently revived. His crashing in the Cosmodrome had, initially, been what the Speaker reports to be why things had been strange down there.<p>

Crashing into the Cosmodrome, Bats had apparently taken down two of the radar towers, making it nearly impossible to scan the entire area. And since all the radars are on different systems, it was hard to pin-point which radar towers had been taken down, causing the scans to be incomplete. In addition, Bat's crash-landing had attracted numerous packs of Fallen soldiers to his location, leading to why most areas of the Cosmodrome had been silent. Really, it's a miracle he's still alive. When you get the call that Bats is finally awake, you dash like a lightning bolt to the hospital, meeting up with Diana there, who, smartly, had been hanging out with Oliver and Barry all afternoon.

When you reach the hospital room Bats is staying in, you're greeted with a loud crash before a wide-eyed hospital patient slams straight into you. Your reflexes are thankfully fast, and you grab Bats before he can run away. "Whoa there! Slow down, buddy!" You order, holding the man steady in your Titan-strength grip. "Hold on a second."

"Where's Alfred?" Are the first words out of Bat's mouth, and you step back, still holding him, but at a slight distance. "What happened to him?"

"Slow down. Whose Alfred?" Diana asks, taking charge as she too takes a hold of the Hunter, one hand closed around his arm in a vice-grip.

"My Ghost." Bats explains, looking very worried. He has a helmet on now, a Jackknife 3.2 by the looks of it; an odd item for a recently revived Hunter to have on. "He's my Ghost, and he's gone. Where is he?"

"We don't know." Diana admits, taking in the situation. A Ghost, to a Guardian, is sacred and dearly loved. Without them, their Guardian never would've returned to the living. It's no wonder Bats sounds so upset. "But we can look for him. What skin is he using?"

"A custom one, shouldn't be hard to locate..." Bats trails off, and you notice that he keeps holding his hands against his helmet, as if it hurts to think too hard. "It's a black and white one, looks like he's wearing a tuxedo and bow-tie... he made it himself."

"Alright. We'll find your Ghost, but you have to stay put." Diana orders, and before Bats can speak up, she cuts in- "Don't even think about it, kid. You're in no shape to go after your Ghost. You're lucky to even be alive. Let us find him."

Bats looks from Diana, to you, then back to Diana, looking both untrusting but slightly desperate, something you think is uncommon for him. "... Alright. Find him. I can't imagine what I'd do without him."

Diana nods, smiling down at Bats. "We will find him, Hunter. Now rest, you've been through a lot these last few days, haven't you?" She lets him go, as do you, and Bats, very reluctantly, walks back to his room, looking none too pleased with the situation.

"Can't say I blame him." You say once Bats closes his door, turning to look at Diana. "I wouldn't be happy either if I lost Lois. Not to mention what he must've gone through in the Cosmodrome... where should we look first?"

"We should ask the Speaker. The Traveler is connected to all the Ghosts after all. If anyone can find this Ghost, it'll be the Speaker." Diana decides, looking a bit excited to find the Ghost. "If we hurry, we can catch him before he goes home in a half hour."

And once again, you follow after Diana, a pattern you've found familiar and comforting over the last few years. This time, you don't look over your shoulder and say goodbye to Bats.

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><p><strong>AN: End of chapter one, but two will be edited tomorrow after school. Hope you like this, and please review!  
><strong>

**~Supercasey.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Come With Me Now**

**Chapter 2: The Ghost**

**Description: ****DCU Destiny AU. A Bounty gone wrong leads Clark Kent and Diana Prince to suddenly have a young Hunter named Bats enter their lives. As this mysterious stranger slowly recovers from his injuries, they all must work together in rescuing Bat's lost Ghost. Will the Light prevail, or will the Ghost be lost to the Darkness?**

**A/N: Chapter two of my Two-Shot. God, you'll all never believe I finished this all in one night, but whatever. Please enjoy, and tell me what you think.**

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><p>"Hello, Speaker." You greet, walking up the spiral staircase with practiced ease. "I wish to ask for your assistance." You try to speak more formally, as a show of respect to the man.<p>

"Ah, and how may I be of assistance, Guardian?" The Speaker asks, folding his hands out in front of himself, smoothing down his robes regally.

"Well, you see, sir. It's about the Hunter, the one Diana Prince and I rescued yesterday." You explain, swallowing hesitantly as you face the powerful man. "You see, he has lost his Ghost. We were hoping you might know where it's gone."

"I see, Guardian. Give me a moment." The Speaker looks away, gazing up at the large, powerful Traveler. "I sense it's Light... deep, deep in the Cosmodrome. It has lost it's light source, and the Darkness has taken him. You must hurry, Guardian. Before it is too late. If this Ghost perishes... so too does it's Guardian." He explains, bowing to you. "Now go, find the Ghost and return him to the Light."

"Thank you, sir." You reply, bowing in return to the Speaker before you take off, getting coordinates from Lois on the Ghost's location.

From the looks of it, it seems like the Ghost hid itself whenever the first group of Fallen attempted to kill Bats, not too far from where Diana found him in the first place. You hurry through the Tower, blasting by a group of Warlocks who give you a very judgmental look as a response to your running. You ignore them though, intent on finding Diana. You find her at the Postmaster, waiting in line behind two Titans and a Hunter. She gets out of line when she spots you, looking thankful for the distraction. You wave her down, and together you both have your Ghost's pulling down your ship, while you two talk.

"What did the Speaker say about Alfred?" Diana asks as you both wait for the ship. "Did he locate him in the Cosmodrome?"

"Yeah. He's not far from where Bats was holed up according to the Traveler. We have to hurry though, the Speaker warned that the Darkness was beginning to destroy him." You explain, relaxing as Lois teleports you and Diana into your shared ship.

"Then there's no time to lose." Diana agrees, clicking on the navigational systems to Old Russia. "It'll be about forty-five minutes until we get there... I'm gonna get a drink, need anything?"

You shrug, following Diana into the back of the ship as you set it on auto-pilot. As Diana digs into the mini-fridge, you take a seat at the table. Your ship is on the much larger scale, having room for a small kitchen-type room behind the cockpit, with only a small, metal table with three matching metal chairs. Up a small ladder is the sleeping chambers, where four bunk beds are set up, just in-case they rescue someone or are having an overnight Raid. You sigh, about to kick your feet up on the table and relax, when a loud creek sounds from the air conditioning vents. Sharing a concerned look with Diana, you stand up on top of your chair, pressing your hands onto the ceiling and straining your ears for movement.

It's not long before another creek follows the first one, closer to the cockpit. Diana takes one of the other chairs, quietly setting it down below where you'd both heard the noise. She stands up on it, and very quietly, pulls out a small screwdriver and begins opening one of the ceiling tiles. When she removes it, nothing is there but an empty vent. Thinking she knows what's going on, Diana sets the panel noiselessly down on the floor, before tossing the screwdriver to you. You in turn unscrew the panel above you, and set it aside. With the count of three, you both poke your heads into the vent, finding a lone Hunter stuck in-between the two of you, having both his escape routes blocked.

"What the... Bats!?" Diana yells, suddenly very, very angry with the Hunter. "What in the world are you doing here? We told you to rest!"

"Alfred is my Ghost." Bats tells her, probably glaring behind his helmet. "It's my responsibility to track him down. I can't just trust Guardians I don't know to do it for me."

"You're still hurt, Bats." You make sure to point out, holding out your hand to Bats so you can help him out of the vents. "Come on, you need to rest."

"I'm perfectly capable of finding my Ghost, thank you very much." Bats declares, not taking your hand as he crosses his arms, set on staying put until you all reach the Cosmodrome.

"For the love of- come here!" Diana shouts, grabbing Bats in a blur, getting a good hold on his cloak as she starts dragging him out of the vent. "Quit acting like a child!"

Bats yelps, more squeaky than he'd probably expected, before Diana drags him out and immediately holds him down, both breathing heavily as Bats lies limp underneath her weight. "Are you ready to be responsible and take care of yourself?" Diana asks him, still sounding angry.

Bats is definitely glaring at Diana, and his fists clench and unclench nervously at the sides of his head. It's very likely that he's debating whether or not he can take the two of you down without crashing the ship in the process. You wonder if that's how the first one crashed. "Let. Me. Go." He growls it out, low and angry and you wonder if you're the only one who hears the fear, the fear for his Ghost.

You step in, because Diana is one second away from knocking Bats out and strapping him down to one of the beds until your mission is over. "Let me handle this, Diana." You order, putting your hand on Bat's chest, right in Diana's field of vision. "Trust me on this, alright?"

Diana hesitates, because she knows you and therefore by knowing you she is aware of your almost idiotic amount of pity and compassion for others. Very reluctantly and slow, she let's Bats go, but not without giving him one last death glare. "You pull anything dangerous, and he won't be able to stop me from strapping you down in the ship."

Bats doesn't respond, unless the tiny nod that's hardly noticeable is much of an answer. Diana backs off as you'd requested, and stalks off to lean against the far wall of the kitchen, glaring heatedly at Bats. "Don't worry about her." You suggest, catching Bat's attention away from Diana. "She's just worried about you, that's all. I'm Clark, by the way. I don't think I remember telling you my name."

"The doctors mentioned you after I woke up." Bats admits, beginning to stand to full height. The height difference between yourself and Bats is hilarious and honestly just sad, him being about two heads shorter than you, thanks both to your Titan class and his Hunter one. "They probably told you already, but people call me Bats."

"That's an... odd name." You mutter, but Bats hears it, judging by the quiet grunt he doesn't try very hard to conceal. You hear Diana shift behind you, both concerned for Bats and worried that he might try to harm you. "What's your real name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's personal." Bats merely replies, not willing to elaborate. You wonder how long exactly he's been in the land of the living, how exactly he died. It must've been brutal, if he isn't even willing to give away his real name to you. "How long have you two been a Fireteam?"

"Five years." Diana says, before you can spit out the same exact answer. You look over your shoulder at her, and her arms are crossed again, one leg folded to have the sole of her foot resting against the wall. "How long have you been alive for?"

"One month." Yeah, Bats is definitely much younger than the two of you. However, when you look him over, he seems... experienced, like he's done this all before, in another life, another time, another world. "It's been... something to get used to. I'm guessing you're both very close then if you've been together for so long." Bats, you think, might be smirking. "You two have good chemistry."

For a split second, you think either, A; Diana will laugh at this and say you're not together, B; Diana will punch Bats, C; Diana will say you're together like you've both been meaning to admit to your friends, or D; she'll both say you're not together AND punch Bats. None of which happen, as the ship comes to a halt, making everyone on-board shake from the force of the landing. Bats, to your concern, cringes as you touchdown, not that you're surprised. After getting your bearings, it's not hard to figure out that you've arrived in the Cosmodrome. You look over at Diana again, whose forgotten about Bat's chemistry comment and is readying her hand-cannon for the Hell it might just go through.

"Let's go." Diana suggests, glaring behind her helmet at Bats, whose also readying his Primary Weapon for battle. "If you get injured, I'm dragging you back to the ship. No second chances." She promises him, her voice harsh yet genuinely concerned for his well-being.

"Noted." Bats chips out, not sounding very pleased at the idea. Even in his condition, his leg looking off balanced when he stands, you think, maybe, that he can outrun Diana. Hunters are, after all, notorious for their speed. "Stay out of my way, and we'll get along."

You feel like the monkey in the middle as you all exit the ship in a single file line, with Diana in the front and Bats in the back. You think Bats likes you, and by 'like' you mean that he doesn't seem keen on shooting you anytime soon, but he definitely has mixed feelings about Diana. As for Diana, she of course loves you, as you're her fiance, as for Bats, she obviously cares about him enough to worry about his health, but she doesn't trust him, that's for sure. You're the odd man out, and honestly, it's more uncomfortable than you expected. You all walk in silence, you and Diana not getting on your Sparrows since Bats can't summon one, so you all just keep quiet and silently pray for no one to start a fight.

You, of course, break the silence first. "So... any of you hear about the Crucible match last Friday? I heard it was brutal." You're trying to be friendly, or maybe break the tension hanging in the air like a noose before sunrise. It's both.

"I was trapped in a rusty building screaming my lungs out as I bled onto the floor last Friday. I didn't hear much about the Crucible." Bats announces almost glumly, making you shut up, for the love of God.

"Oh... right." You reply, not shutting up, because seriously, you really like Bats and you really hate this tension. It should be a win-win. It's not. "Well then, um... see anything cool in the Cosmodrome when you were here?"

"Blood." Bats promises, trying so very hard to stop the conversation. "Lot's of blood. And Fallen. Did I mention I don't want to talk?"

"Well, it's important to socialize, Bats. Don't you agree, Diana?" You ask, hoping that maybe Diana can talk the stoic Hunter into bonding with you.

"Clark. Shut up." Diana orders, and that actually makes you shut up this time. You maybe hear Bats chuckle, but that's a big maybe since you're not sure if Bats can even chuckle, much less laugh.

You're all quiet again as you finally enter The Divide for the second time this week, all now straining to hear for any incoming Fallen enemies. If you're lucky, they've all finally left this place and have started infesting other areas of the Cosmodrome again. If you're not... well, let's all just hope you're lucky. You keep up with Diana and Bats, your single file line having crumbled over time until Bats is ahead of you, a bit more to your left, while Diana stands ahead of you even more towards your right. Suddenly, you hear a small scuffle along with the crack of a tree branch breaking. You stop dead in your tracks, turning a few degrees to glance over to your right, trying to find what'd caused the sound.

As soon as you see a shimmer, you gulp, eyes widening. "Um... guys?" You speak up, holding your Auto Rifle close to your chest as your heartbeat rises, a steady thump thump thump in your ribcage, behind your layers of clothing and armor. "G-Guys..."

"Clark, for the love of God, I thought I said-" Diana stops midway through her rant as she swings around, ready to give you an earful for what she thought was you trying to break the ice again. "Get down!" She screams, ducking as a spray of artillery fire is shot at your team**.**

"Aim high!" Diana orders, before you start firing wildly, with the panic of a recently Revived Guardian. You're not betting on accuracy at this point, too panicked and worried about Stealth Vandals to care.

The bullets hit well enough, two of what are maybe five or six Vandals going down. They start closing in as you and Diana are reloading, shimmering figures stalking towards their prey. Before they can even take aim at you , they're sniped down, in quick succession, all head-shots. You and Diana both turn and look for the sniper, finding an almost smug looking Bats perched on top of a boulder, having gone for higher ground during the initial assault. It's not over yet, however, as a Captain followed by four Dregs, five Shanks, and two Vandals all enter from the rusty building Bats had hidden in days ago. The Captain lets out a loud roar, before they all charge at once, a blur of white skulls and angry growls.

Bats gets to sniping them one at a time, going for the Shanks. Diana switches to her Rocket Launcher, diving towards the Captain for a little one-on-one combat. As for you, you switch to your Fusion Rifle, taking aim at the Vandals and Dregs. The Shanks are fast, Bats struggling to keep up with their speed as you see his lack of actual rest taking a huge toll on him, but he keeps firing, keeps hitting, until all of the Shanks are destroyed. Diana is taking heavy blows, but you know she's suffered so much worse, so you don't allow hapless puppy-love to cloud your judgement as you dive at the Dregs and Vandals, taking them out quickly and efficiently. You all fight well, until finally, the Captain falls dead, and Diana grins at you the way a bobcat does after a hunt, while the remaining Fallen run away like children without a teacher.

"Nice work." Diana praises you both as Bats regroups with the team, limping more heavily. "You doing alright, Bats?"

"I'm fine." Bats promises, his breathing uneven yet strong. He'll live. "Just... leg hurts. Nothing I can't handle. Now, where's Alfred?"

"We'll go see." Diana offers, and together, with Bats leaning on you most of the way, you all head into the rusty building and start searching for Alfred.

The floor is stained with thick, now browned blood. It's been here for awhile. Bats doesn't comment on whether or not it's his, getting down on his knees to search around where he'd been holed up in the corner before. You in turn try to locate the lost Ghost, looking around on the floor and on rusty old shelves. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Bats suddenly shouts, getting your and Diana's attention. You both hurry over, looking towards where Bats points. Behind a short stack of ruined books lies a powered down Ghost, matching Bat's earlier description. With no time to lose, you scoop it up, Bats standing on shaky legs before you give it to him, it being his Ghost after all.

Alfred sparks at Bat's touch, but doesn't turn on completely, making Bat's hands shake even more. "We need to get him to the Speaker... he'll know what to do." You explain, wrapping an arm around the Hunter's shoulders. "It'll be okay, Bats. He'll save Alfred."

And so you all depart, Alfred held close against Bat's chest, with the same intensity a child would use to hug their parents. You figure it's a similar feeling to Bats.

* * *

><p>After returning to the Tower, Bats goes his separate way with you and Diana, and at first, it's fine. You don't see him again for an entire week. Diana doesn't either, the two of you keeping yourselves working and training. It doesn't take long to start missing him. In all likelihood, it doesn't seem normal that you've started missing Bats. He's never been keen on getting to know you after all, and it's obvious that the two of you are very different people. But you miss him all the same. When you finally see him again, he's wearing civilian clothing and his helmet on over his face. You only recognize him because of the Ghost floating at his side, with a skin that Bats was right when he said makes it look like his Ghost is wearing a tiny tuxedo.<p>

Diana and you, after a Crucible match, had decided to go to a restaurant, a small diner called Samson's Sausage. Bruce arrives right as you and Diana sit down, not even asking before he takes a seat in the booth, beside you and across from Diana. He folds his arms on the table as he gets himself comfortable, his Ghost coming to rest right in front of him. He looks up at Diana after a few moments of thinking- or maybe resting, you're not sure which- and then he glances over at you. He looks tired, you note, and you can practically feel the hesitation as he sits beside you, nervous, almost skittish. Finally, after he gets it together, he sits up, clearing his throat. His throat sounds sore, you note, but again, you don't comment.

"I came to thank you... for saving Alfred. I never would have rescued him had it not been for your help." Bats explains, and makes to leave, before his Ghost blocks his path.

"I believe we agreed on something ELSE to discuss, Master Bats?" Alfred interrupts, and you almost snort at the odd title the Ghost uses. Most Ghosts don't call their Guardians 'Master' last time you checked. "Perhaps you should ask them your question?"

"Is something wrong, Bats?" Diana asks, smirking at Bats, as if she knows exactly why he's here, which she probably does, surprising no one. She rests her elbows on the table, holding her hands together to make a perch for her chin. "What do you need to ask us?"

Bats swallows, looking nervous again, before he coughs, trying to clear his throat a second time. "I... well, you see... you two are missing a slot on your Fireteam, and I wanted to ask you if I may join." He says the last part quickly, almost as fast as Barry when he's eating.

Diana looks to you, her smirk devious in nature. "I dunno, Bats..." She's trying to tease him, you think, making you smile a bit as a result. "What do you think, Clark? Should we hire him onto our team?"

You look from Diana, to Alfred, then finally to Bats. You think back to a bit over a week ago, when you'd first met Bats, a man confused and all too suddenly awake without his Ghost. He seemed small then, and even now, you still see him as tiny compared to you. But there's a strength there... something you saw for the first time when he was held against the floor of your ship, growling and glaring, and a second time holding a Sniper Rifle, taking aim and firing at Shank after Shank. He's different, you think; he's anti-social, a natural loner, and might just suffer from his own unfair share of social anxiety. But you can't stop seeing him as the Hunter holding the Sniper Rifle, as well as the confused young man in the hospital hallway. Your mind is made up, Clark Kent.

You take Bat's hand, shaking it in a strong, powerful grip. "Welcome to Fireteam Justice, Bats." You say, before patting him on the back, a dumb smile on your face.

You wonder, for a moment, if Bats returns it, since he's saying anything at first due to shock. Soon though, he nods, a bit dumbfounded by the looks of it still. "I'm honored." He promises, finally relaxing in the seat beside you.

For the first time in five years it feels like, your little Fireteam finally feels full. It's something to get used to, you know, but it's nicer like this. Much nicer.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It took a very long time (4 hours nonstop), but I love it! Yeah, my neck really hurts and I'm tired... please oh please review, and have a nice day!**

**~Supercasey.**


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